Ex-marine takes on craziest challenge yet as he plans to scale three peaks with rowing machine on his back

Matthew Disney, 35, will this month take on the national three peaks challenge - Snowdon, Scafell Pike and Ben Nevis – with a twist.

He will scale each mountain while carrying a rowing machine, then row the height of the mountain on each summit.

Most people who complete the three peaks challenge drive between each mountain, but Matthew will walk the distance, all with his trusty rowing machine on his back.

Matthew, of Queen’s Drive, Staining, said: “With the marines we train to yomp – that’s carrying heavy equipment on top of ammunition, food and sleeping gear, and we’ll be shifting that across arduous ground, so on that basis I have been training ever since then.

“The reason I joined the marines in the first place was because I wanted to push myself physically and mentally. It has just carried on from there and I don’t think I’ll ever lose that. It’s in my DNA.”

At the start of 2019, Matthew vowed to take on seven gruelling challenges to raise money for the Royal Marines Charity and mental health charity Rock 2 Recovery.

He has already completed 100 sprints at max speed on a treadmill, climbed the height of Everest, and run 81 miles through the heart of 
Storm Hannah.

And he promised his fifth challenge will be even crazier than his three peaks plans.

“It’s not in this country, and it will make me the first in the world to have done it if I manage to succeed,” he said.

You can support Matthew’s charity efforts by donating to his online fund-raiser at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/DisneyRM.